Tampon



M. E. RABELL Feb. 14, 1939.

TAMPON Filed Aug. 13, 1935 INVENTOR [V II/dun ll'. liabeld ATTORNEYSPatented Feb. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TAMPON Miriam E.Rabell, Pelham Manor, N. Y. Application August 13, 1935, Serial No.35,912 4 Claims. I ((31.128-285) This invention pertains to tampons andmore particularly to tampons for absorbing a liquid flow, such, forexample, as the menstrual flow.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending applicationSerial Number 694,527, filed October 21, 1933.

One of the objects of the invention is 'to pro: vide an improved tamponof the general type shown in United States patent to Rabell Number1,941,717, filed August 9, 1933, Serial Number 684,320, issued January2, 1934.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed outhereinafter.-

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts as will beexemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described and the scopeof the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which are shown one or more of thevarious possible embodiments of this invention,

Figure 1 shows in elevation a tampon embodying the invention; t

Figure 2 is a top-plan view showing the parts of the tampon opened;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the tampon;

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken through line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the tampon in position in apassage such as in the vagina.

Corresponding reference characters refer to corresponding partsthroughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring more particularly to Figure 1, there is shown a tamponembodying my invention and designed to be placed in a, passage oropening of a human-body to absorb such liquid as may flow therein.Sincethe walls of such a passage or opening may be of delicate, easilyirritated tissue, the surface of the tampon contacting the walls of thepassage is preferably formed from material that does not irritate thetissue. Further the tampon itself preferably is adapted to absorb theliquid in such a way as substantially to avoid becoming so wetted as tocause inflammation of the tissue of the passage and at the same time toprevent flow of the liquid past the tampon.

To this end, as shown in Figure 2, the tampon chosen to illustrate theinvention comprises an outer top protective or contacting member I0 andan outer bottom protective or contacting member H, which membersactually contact the walls of the passage and hold the tampon inposition in the passage as shown in Figure 5. These members arepreferably formed of an ab sorbent material whose physical and chemicalproperties do not cause irritation of delicate skin tissues (such asthat forming the walls of the vagina) at normal body temperature; Asshown in the present embodiment they are formed from cotton batting, andare identical so that the tampon may be placed in the passage witheither member ID or II forming the top member, shown in Figure 5.

Since wet material in contact with skin tissue may be more irritatingthan dry material it is desirable that the outer surface of theprotective members remain as dry as possible even when fluid is flowingto and being absorbed by the tampon. For this reason and others it ispreferable that the top member be so constructed that fluid contactingit be conducted to the 20 interior of the member rather than tendingmore to spread over the outer exposed surface of the member. Asillustrated in the present embodiment it has been found that one way toaccomplish this result is by forming the top protective or contactingmember in vertical layers, the planes of contact between each layerforming what might be considered as capillary passages extending fromthe exterior surface into the interior of the member. Thus liquidencountering the outer surface of the protective member tends to flow toand follow the nearest layer or capillary passage more than it does toflow over and follow the individual haphazardly arranged cotton fibres,and so is conducted into the interior of the member. 'I'hat is, theprotective member hasa portion or portions thereof which are morepermeable to liquid than the remainder of said protective member.Likewise said permeable portion or portions'are located so as to leadthe liquid into the interior of the protective member. In the embodimentherein described, this effect is secured by providing abutting surfacesor a plurality of pairs of abutting surfaces, in the protective member,and said abutting surfaces lead from the exterior surface of the tampon,to-- the absorbent member I2. A protective member of this type may beformed by spirally winding a strip of absorbent material, such forexample, as cotton batting, upon a revolving man drel of small diameter,the ends of the strip tapering to facilitate producing a wad having aclosed center and a circular contour in at least one cross-section. Whenthe small mandrel is removed the compression of the soft material woundunder some tension causes the material to fill the space left at thecenter by the removal of the mandrel, but the layers formed duringwinding remain intact. The diameter of the 5 protective member may bemade any reasonable size. by winding up more or less cotton batting soas to vary the size of the tampon according to the size of the passagein which it is to be used.

Further to prevent flow of liquid past the tampon and to aid further inkeeping the outer surface of the protective members dry there ispreferably placed between the members a highly absorbent center memberl2, which as illustrated 15 in the present embodiment comprises aplurality of layers of circular pieces of ordinary highly absorbentcotton gauze of the type which is used for dressing wounds and the like.By making the absorbent center member I 2 more highly o absorbing thanthe material from which the protective members are formed, liquidflowing to and through top member III is drawn into the highly absorbentcenter and is prevented from spreading throughout the protective memberswhich are in 25 this way kept relatively dry. The capacity of theabsorbent center to absorb liquid is made relatively high and it may beconsidered the absorbent medium of the tampon acting as a barrier topassage ,of the liquid therepast. The outer protective 30 members l andI I, even though made of absorbent material may be considered as servingto position the tampon in the passage, to protect the walls of thepassages from the center I2 and to conduct the liquid to the center.

35 An advantage of making the absorbent center I! in the shape of a discand of relatively non-- shrinking material is that, in the event thateither of the protective members becomes wetted and shrinks the circularpiece of gauze aids in 40 keeping the tampon in place across the passagein which it is inserted.

The completed tampon, as shown in Figure 1, may be formed by placing thetwo protective members back to back with the center absorbent 45 memberbetween them. The three are then preferably secured together as by asimple sewing operation around the edge portions of the three. Theprotective members are preferably of slightly larger diameter than discI 2 so that the 50 center does not touch the walls of the passage. Thearea of contact between the members not for any liquid that may reachthe area. The character of the protective members when 55 formed fromcotton batting is such that they may be shaped before or after they aresecured together into such shapes as may be desired. For example, theymay be formed into hemispheres as shown or into other shapes. l

To assist in withdrawing the tampon from the passage a string l(preferably formed from moisture-resisting material such as treated silkso that it will not conduct moisture from the tampon) may be provided.This may be accomplished by attaching one end of the cord to the centerI! before it is inserted between the protective members. The cord maythen be allowed filled by the disc may form a passage to the center thetampon as shown a portions thereof, and the other (lower) protectivemember formed without such means. An advantage of the lower protectivemember lies in its aiding in maintaining the tampon in correct positionin the passage as well as in. aiding in absorbing any liquid which mayseep past the upper protective member and the central absorbingmaterial.

As various embodiments might be made of this invention, and as variouschanges might be made in the construction herein described, all withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is to be understood thatall matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is tobe interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A menstrual tampon comprising a pair of members made of absorbentmaterial which shrinks readily when said material is moist, each saidmember having. spirally associated layers,

said members having an intermediate diaphragm which is made of materialwhich is substantially non-shrinkable when said material is moist, saidabsorbent members being connected to each other by thread substantiallyat the edge portions of said absorbent members.

2. A tampon comprising a protective member made of cotton batting andhaving contacting layers which form a spiral, said protective memberhaving end faces, said layers having fine spaces between them throughwhich liquid can flow more readily than through said batting, and asecond absorbent member contacting with one of said end faces, thematerial of the second absorbent member having greater absorbentcapacity than said cotton batting.

3. A tampon comprising two outer members of cotton batting each 'havingspirally associated layers, the spaces between said layers extendingfrom the outer face to the inner face of each member, and anintermediate member of more absorbent material located between the innerfaces of said two members and adapted to receive and absorb liquidpassing through the said spaces between the layers.

, 4. A tampon comprising opposed outer protective members formed of flatspirals of strips of absorbent material, thespaces between the strips inthe spirals extending from the outer to the inner side of the memberswhereby liquid can more readily pass through the spaces than through themember, and a fiat intermediate member of a more absorbent material thansaid protective members located against the inner sides of the twoprotective members and adapted to receive and retain liquid passingthrough said spaces.

MIRIAM E. RABELL.

